Apple released iOS 26 V Septemberand this update introduced several new features for your iPhone such as call checking And new ringtones. The update also included some improvements privacy measures against digital fingerprinting. Everyone can take advantage of these enhanced privacy measures on their device.
Since we do most things on digital devices these days, we can leave our digital fingerprints everywhere. senior writer for CNET Attila Tomaszek told me that digital fingerprints are made up of pieces of information about your device and browser, such as your IP address, device type, and even screen resolution. He said fingerprints can be used to detect fraud as well as improve website performance, but they can also be dangerous, which is what makes this iOS privacy feature so useful.
“Advertisers can create detailed user profiles to target advertising, and companies can use fingerprinting to price discriminate based on user location and other inferred demographics,” he said. “To make matters worse, an authoritarian government can use fingerprinting to spy on its population, and digital fingerprints can help cybercriminals commit fraud and identity theft.”
Companies can also sell these profiles data brokerswhich can take offline information from public records and other sources and attach it to your digital fingerprint. According to the cybersecurity company Avastbrokers can then sell this information to advertisers to target you more effectively.
Apple wrote online that this protection is enabled by default for any browsing. But here's where to find the setting to ensure maximum privacy when using Safari or if you want to customize the feature.
Please note that your digital fingerprint is different from and is not related to your biometric fingerprint.
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Where to find advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Applications at the bottom of the menu.
3. Tap Safari.
4. Tap Advanced at the bottom of the menu.
5. Tap Advanced tracking and fingerprint protection.
The Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting menu will have three options: Off, Private browsing And All views. For maximum protection, make sure the All Views option is selected and has a check mark.
“Enhanced fingerprint protection, previously limited to private browsing, now protects all browsing in Safari,” Apple wrote. online. “It hides browser and device data that can be used to create digital fingerprints of users.”
It's important to note that this setting only applies to Safari, so if you're using another browser app, you may not get the same level of protection.
While fingerprint locking can help protect your data, it has some disadvantages. Tomaszek said fingerprinting can help websites remember your personal settings, so blocking this feature could result in a reduced online experience. If blocking fingerprinting from all browsing is too inconvenient for you, follow the steps above and click either Off to disable this feature completely or Private browsing therefore it is only enabled when browsing privately.
Why are these protections important now?
Digital privacy and keeping your information secure is always important, but Google has changed one of its policies regarding digital fingerprinting in December 2024.
Google wrote at the time that it was updating its digital fingerprinting policy for two reasons. First, advances in privacy-enhancing technologies are “giving people the privacy protection they expect.” The company said these advances provide “new ways for brands to safely and securely manage and activate their data.”
The second reason Google said it was updating its policy is due to the “growth of new ad-supported devices and platforms” such as streaming services.
“With this update, we can help businesses large and small realize the power of the evolving digital landscape while meeting user privacy expectations,” Google wrote.
But not everyone was convinced it was a good idea. UK Information Commissioner's Office wrote at the time that digital fingerprinting would likely limit people's choices and control over their data. The office called Google's changes “irresponsible” and also – quoting Google's own position for 2019 for fingerprinting – “wrong”.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other ways to combat digital fingerprints
Tomaszek told me that while VPN can mask your IP address and use ad and tracker blockers, it is not a comprehensive anti-digital fingerprinting solution. He suggests using a combination of different tactics. This may mean using a privacy-focused browser such as Mole Browser or a privacy-focused extension like Confidentiality from the Electronic Frontier Foundation in combination with a VPN.
While they can't stop a company from collecting your digital fingerprint, a data deletion service can help remove data that is already in the public domain. So you can use one of these services to delete your data before using a combination of other tools to try to protect your digital fingerprint.
More information about iOS 26 can be found here. my OS reviewhow to reduce Liquid glass effects in the update and how to enable call And text viewing on your iPhone. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet.
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